Chapter 005: Facing the Bull
Facing the Bull (牛に直面, Ushi ni Chokumen) is the fifth chapter of the Heartz Journey Arc in the Roads to Regional Saga. Lowen is facing off against the town bully, Bull, a resident of Whorl and GIFL fighter. Both only need one win to move on to a Regional Qualifier match. With so much riding on this fight, can Lowen pull out a victory? Or is he fated to remain trapped in Whorl forever? Part 1. Get Ready Sunlight splashes across Lowen's face and he opens his eyes to meet the day. It only takes a few moments for him to remember what's it has in store for him. He swings his legs over the edge of the hammock and places his bare feet against the cold wooden floor of his room. He lets out a yawn and cracks his neck. Outside, the sky is a beautiful shade of blue. Not a single cloud in sight. This gives him hope that today will be a good day. Lowen walks himself to the balcony and leans against the railing to overlook Whorl. He admires the view that his house on top of the hill affords him. Only morning and its already busy with fishermen working the docks. He can see ships move out towards the sea, readying their nets for the catch. People are heading down towards the market area and shops. All seems peaceful in this small town. Lowen thinks to himself how he doesn't hate Whorl at all. He never did. Its just that he's always dreamed of seeing more, and even though he travels to Julius nearly every day, its not the same. Not only would the higher level matches grant him more money for Aeben's medicine, but it would allow him to travel all over BattleScar. Lowen had his plan all laid out in his head: win one more match and get himself into the regionals, make enough money to fix Aeben, and once he was in good shape, Lowen would travel The Circuit and become the next GIFL Champion. Every time he thought about this last part he felt ashamed and guilty, letting his personal desires get in the way of Aeben's health. He couldn't help it though. It was that drive inside him. Rubin told him that it was the same as his dad's, that wanting to be the best, to prove yourself to everyone. But all that couldn't happen until he won today's fight. Lowen shook his head and headed back inside his room, getting ready before heading downstairs and having a healthy breakfast. His uncle was already setting up his plate: freshly sliced fruit, oatmeal and eggs. For a drink, Rubin blended an assortment of fruits and vitamin mixtures to maximize his body's energies and health. His uncle always believed a well maintained body comes from natural foods and never any shortcuts. He instilled the belief of hard work is what gets you the right results. The two brothers sat at the dining room table, Aeben having already eaten half his breakfast. Rubin walked over with Lowen's plate and placed it in front of him. He thanked his uncle and wolfed down the entire plate in less than a minute. Aeben giggled at the sight of his older brother stuffing his face. A window behind them was open, curtains blowing gently in the breeze as cool air swept passed Lowen's shoulders. He spent the rest of the morning going over data on the screen, forming a strategy to take on Bull. If Bull's strength was really greater than Lowen's then the young fighter would have to resort to Fast Heartz to overtake him. Using his superior speed, he would whittle the stronger fighter's defense and create an opening for Strong Heartz to land a knockout blow. It was flawless, and Lowen couldn't help but feel smug about his strategy. He wanted to tell Rubin how he was using his head but decided against it for some reason. Let him think I'm an idiot. he thought to himself. With only an hour left, it was time to head down to Whorl's Arena. Lowen changed into his "fight clothes", a term used loosely since it wasn't formal fighting attire, just a pair of black shorts, matching boots and Lowen had a habit of taping his knuckles before each match. Beyond that, he didn't wear much of anything else. He grabbed his cowboy hat and put it on, looking one last time in the mirror. "You're gonna be champion." He told himself, psyching himself up, and headed to face his destiny. Part 2. The Arena Down by the shore is the official GIFL arena, Whorl's Arena. It didn't have an exciting name like some of the other larger arenas but it served its purpose as a fighting pit. As Lowen, Aeben and Rubin walked over the hill, they saw the structure down below. Circular in formation, it was built entirely by stone and wood, partially over the beach making half of the battle floor sand and the other water. This added difficulty to the matches as being tossed in the water can create an immediate disadvantage. Sprinkled around the area are obstacles laid out to give elevation and coverage for the fighters. Mainly snapped logs, large rocks and old wooden wreckage. There's even a half destroyed ship marooned on the beach at the center of the map. Lined around the pit in a stadium style seating are rows for the audience to look down and view the match. Word had spread regarding the match today and Lowen could see the people of Whorl make their way inside the arena, flowing through the large archway entrance. A few waved at Lowen, cheering his name and clapping. He smiled back and waved at them as he walked towards the fighter's entrance to the side. The next half hour is spent preparing for the match, signing wavers and Rubin giving Lowen final words of encouragement in the locker room while he taped up the fighter's knuckles tightly with white wraps. Aeben stood on his tiptoes on a bench staring out a small rectangular window that looked out towards the pit. He watched the crowd work their way to their seats, hearing them talk about who they think would win. Many spoke favorably of Lowen, commenting how he was the spitting image of their father. Then two gentlemen sat in front of him and began to talk. "Who do you think will win?" One asked the other. "I give this match to Bull." The other responded. "Really? He's a Heartz, though." "Yeah, and? The Heartz family is old news. Rubin retired, Roy's dead and Lowen's been here in Whorl longer than his father's been. Remember when Roy left Whorl? What was he? 16-17? That guy had potential. Lowen's still in local matches. At least Bull got out and actually fought outside this place." "You know that he's got his little brother to worry about. He hasn't been able to leave Whorl yet because of him." "Well then Lowen better get used to staying in Whorl if he's got baggage weighing him down." Aeben frowned, staring down towards the floor. He felt weak. Listening to the two men talking made him question if he really was the reason Lowen was stuck in Whorl. Making him feel guilty that he was robbing his older brother's dream. He became angry, not at the men, but himself. His hands curled up into tight fists, wishing he wasn't sick anymore. Letting Lowen go after his dream. He knew his brother wanted to be champion, but between paying for his medicine and making sure Aeben was healthy, Lowen could only go so far in his career as a fighter. "Hey, you alright?" Lowen asked Aeben. Aeben turned his head and could see concern on Lowen's face. Not wanting his brother to be distracted during this match he quickly put on a smile and said that everything was alright. "Just excited to see you fight." Rubin tapped on Lowen's shoulders once he was done wrapping his knuckles. "Alright, son, you're all set. Remember your game plan and it'll be easy." Lowen punched his palms, letting the wraps stretch and breath. He cracked his neck and leaped a few times, shaking his limbs to wake them up. He breathed quickly. "Alright, lets get ourselves one more win." He said with a smile and they all walked out the locker room and into the corridor that let up to the fighting pit. From the end of the hall Lowen and team could hear the announcer make his opening line. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Whorl Arena." He said loudly to cheers and applause from the crowd. Lowen felt their energy surge through him like electricity. His heart began to pump louder as the announcer continued. "Today we have an exciting match. In this corner," the announcer, dressed in a simple black tuxedo wearing gloves spoke into a microphone. He raised a hand and extended his arm towards Lowen's entrance. "Standing at nearly 6ft tall and weighing 167lbs. Our very own Champion of Whorl. Son of the Great Roy Heartz. Looooooooooowen Heartz!" The announcer stated loudly again and Lowen stepped through the archway into the pit. The crowd erupted in cheers, standing and clapping their hands. Lowen raised a hand and waved at them. Rubin maintained his serious expression but Aeben couldn't help but jump in excitement. Once the crowd relaxed, the announcer continued. "Making his long awaited return, standing at 7ft 8 in, weighing nearly 400 lbs of solid muscle." The crowd switched from cheering to loud booing, gesturing with their thumbs down. The announcer extended one hand towards the entrance opposite Lowen. "Buuuuuuulllll." Lumbering out with a half grin and beady eyes is Bull, arms up and flicking his fingers towards himself as if absorbing all the negativity from the crowd and relishing in it. "Yeah, yeah. Keep 'em coming." He said out loud. He looked over towards Lowen and sneered. "Looks like you had the balls to come out after all." He pointed a finger at the young fighter. Lowen scowled. He untied the knot under his chin and pulled his cowboy hat off. Aeben, standing next to him, reached out his hands and Lowen handed his hat to his lower brother as is custom between the two. "Guard my hat, little brother." Lowen turned to his uncle and they both hugged, Rubin patting Lowen on the back before the young fighter headed to the pit. "And now for our prayer." The fighters in the pit and the crowd around them closed their eyes and bowed their heads. In unison, everyone in attendance began to chant: We, the Children of the Great F!GHT King, offer ourselves as tribute. Let our bodies carry strength. Let our blood carry life. We raise our fists in your honor. We fight in your name. To you, Great F!GHT King, we fight. "Time for the shield." The announcer said and pointed a finger to the sky towards a pyramid shaped amber stone. At its heart, an energy pulsed with white light and exploded outward, raining down to create a perfect dome at the edges of the pit, directly in front of the first row of seats. The shield is standard in all arenas, a powerful device able to erect a shield to keep the fighters inside and protect the audience from their attacks. "Fighters, are you ready?" Lowen nodded. Bull took the opportunity for one final comment. "After today, your family's name is done." He said, running the tip of his numb horizontally across his neck. Part 3. Let's Start the Match After the prayer ended the announcer exited through another doorway and the crowd clapped in anticipation for the match to start. Lowen and Bull stared at each other, never breaking eye contact. The audience stomped their feet, letting the momentum build, most people chanting Lowen's name, while a smaller number cheered for Bull. Lowen brought a leg back, tapping the front of his foot against the sand. This was a habit of Lowen's when he prepared to use a specific ability of Ever Legend: Fast Heartz, the form that increases Lowen's speed and reflexes many times over. Bull watched him as he tapped away. The two eagerly waited for the bell to ring to announce the start of their match. And without further pause a loud buzz rang throughout the arena, igniting the crowd. Lowen crouched low, bending his knees. He could feel the Drive rush through his legs, his calves flexed. He leaned forward on the balls of his feet and stated, "Fast Heartz!" Lowen sprung forward, the ground beneath him exploded in a cloud of sand and propelled himself towards Bull like a bullet. In less than a second, Lowen traversed the distance between the two fighters and struck Bull in the chin with a powerful elbow. Bull's head snapped back and the force lifted him off his feet and landing back first on the sand, sliding a few meters away. The crowd fell silent. What they expected would be a long battle between two warriors from Whorl appeared to have already ended with a single blow. Rubin remained calm but Aeben leaped into the air with a fist raised high. "Yeah!" He yelled out in excitement. The crowd followed suit, beginning to clap at first then cheering when they realized that Bull wasn't getting up. Lowen stood there, shocked that the match was already over. He knew that he would've won, he just didn't expect it to be over after one attack. There was a feeling of disappointment in Lowen, as though he was robbed of something. Beating people up wasn't what brought him joy. It was the rush of a good battle, facing someone strong and beating them. This match almost seemed like he was the one being the bully, as if the entire match was overkill. Could it really be over already? Lowen asked himself. Just then, through grunting, Bull raised himself up. He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. The crowd stopped clapping and Aeben stopped cheering. Rubin stood there with his arms folded across his chest, almost seemingly knowing all along that the match wasn't over. And that it had just begun. "Nice shot. But I wonder did you just blow your load too soon? Is that the best you got?" Bull was antagonizing Lowen, working him, getting Lowen to allow his emotions to take control. Bull stood up and spit to one side before cracking his neck. He raised his fists and cracked his knuckles, making little popping noises as he smiled towards Lowen. "Now its my turn." Bull slid his feet into a wide stance and yelled. The sand around him swirled as pale purple light flared out around him. His Drive released a wave of pressure that rippled across the pit, flowing past Lowen like wind, causing the young fighter to step back from the force. As Bull yelled, the more intense his Drive became. Rubin's eyes widened, as did Lowen's. The two felt a strong presence from Bull, something above that of a fighter with D-Class ranking. It felt more like Lowen's Drive. Lowen stood there confused as he stood against the invisible wave, watching Bull's eyes trained on him. Glowing with the same purple energy that surrounded him. How can this be? Lowen thought. This guy is a D-Rank. How does he have this much power? Bull smiled wide. "Guess you realized it, huh?" Bull's aura dispersed all around him, the sand settling beneath his feet. "My data ain't exactly accurate." Without warning, he launched at Lowen, a fist coming down at him. Lowen raised an arm and Bull's huge fist crashed against Lowen's forearm, the sheer power behind it dropped the younger fighter to one knee. Bull continued pressing his fist down on Lowen who was using his own strength to push back up. "Its funny how easily you can trick people when you don't actually record your matches." Lowen gasped and Bull immediately kicked him hard in the belly, sending him flying into the wall behind him. He smacked against it hard, causing the area around him to shake. Aeben also gasped and reached out towards Lowen while Rubin held him back. Lowen fell to his knees and hands, holding himself up. Lowen felt pain in his abdomen, still coming to terms with Bull's strength. Whatever the data said about him wasn't accurate, and if what Bull said was true than Lowen has no idea what kind of power Bull is wielding. "What's going on, Uncle Rubin? I thought Lowen was better than this guy." Aeben looked up at his uncle. Rubin, still holding Aeben, spoke to himself. "He's stronger and faster than the last time I saw him." Then finally towards Aeben. "We checked his data last night. Based on that, we only saw his strength as being the only real challenge. But that Drive... Its much more powerful than a D-Rank. Something isn't right." Lowen brought himself up to his feet and dusted himself off. "So what if the data isn't accurate. It isn't going to change the outcome of this match. And that's me beating you." He rushed at Bull, throwing a high kick at Bull's midsection. The height difference made it impossible to strike Bull's head from a standing position. Lowen would have to resort to leap attacks for that. Bull blocked the kick with his hand and went to punch Lowen with the other. The young fighter deflected it and spun around to attack with his elbow. Even for his size, Bull moved surprisingly quickly and grabbed Lowen's arm and threw him over his shoulder towards the ship wreckage. Lowen turned his body and landed on his feet, quickly running back towards Bull. The towering fighter grinned and dug a foot into the sand. Once Lowen was close enough, Bull kicked it up and a thick cloud of it hit Lowen in the face blinding him. Lowen halted running, vigorously rubbing his eyes. But he was stopped when he felt a mighty force smash into him. "CHARGING BULL!" Bull yelled out and his shoulder struck Lowen with such force that it propelled him through the side of the boat like a cannonball, thick snapped and splintered as he rolled across the floor and against the hull. Bull continued charging, gaining momentum, and when Lowen stood up Bull rammed his shoulder into his midsection, scooped him up and ran him through the hull, both exploding out the other side of the ship, and then driving Lowen into the sand. "Think I'm done, boy?" Bull says with condescension and grabs Lowen by the waist once again. We a mighty roar, Bull lifts Lowen off the ground and flings him over his shoulders. "BULL LAUNCH!", he screams and releases him in midair and launching him back through the hull of the ship. It rocks from the force, pieces of wood scattering all around and Lowen disappears into the darkness, out of the crowd's view. Aeben is yelling his brother's name, shocked and afraid for Lowen's safety. Rubin's gripping the rail in front of him tightly, not saying a word. Bull turns himself to face the ship, grinning wide and beginning to chuckle. "That's it? That's all the famous Heartz Family has to offer?" Bull spoke to the hole left in the hull from Lowen's entrance. "Probably wondering how can I be so this strong if I'm only a D-Rank." Bull slowly walks towards the ship, periodically looking around to the crowd as if speaking to them as well. "I've been training and fighting for years. Years of smashing people into the ground. Getting stronger, better. And not one of those matches were registered GIFL matches. Instead, I went underground. Fighting off the grid where the rules of the GIFL don't apply. There's a whole other world out there. Darker and more violent, stained in blood. Its there that I grew. And now I'm back in Whorl and going to destroy the Heartz name. Your dad was weak in the end. Losing like he did." Bull stopped just outside the ship. "I'm burying you right next to your old man." Bull's words rung throughout the arena and he stepped inside into the darkness of the belly of the ship. A few moments went by of total silence and suddenly the wreckage split and exploded as Bull's body rocketed out and smashed against the far end of the pit. The wall imploded behind his large frame, shaking the entire arena. Bull slumped over and fell face down on the ground, releasing a cloud ring of sand when he hit it. The crowd was stunned and looked at Bull then at the ship. From the newly created opening stepped out Lowen, fist up and clenched tightly. The muscles in his arms flexed, veins visible across the biceps. His Drive coursing through him. Ever Legend pumping him with raw power. His expression serious, his eyes focused on Bull. Aeben stared at his brother in awe and Rubin formed a half smile. Despite what the crowd saw, Rubin knew that this fight was just starting. Chapter Details Characters *Lowen Heartz *Aeben Heartz *Rubin Heartz *Bull Gears Used *'Ever Legend' (エバー・レジェンド, Ebā Rejendo) *'Matador' (マタドール, Matadōru) Techniques Used *'Strong Heartz' (強肩・ヒアトズ (ストロング・ヒアトズ), Sutorongu Hiatozu) *'Fast Heartz' (脚式迅速・ヒアトズ (ファースト・ヒアトズ), Fāsuto Hiatozu) *'Charging Bull' (チャージング・ブル, Chājingu Buru) *'Bull Launch' (ブル・ラウンチ, Buru Raunchi) Abilities Used None.